Posts Tagged informal learning

Albert Einstein once wrote, “Everything has changed, except our way of thinking.” Reading this quote, I can’t help but reflect on how quickly technology, particularly mobile technology, is advancing in our lives. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, one-third of Americans own a smartphone and that number is increasing rapidly. (In fact, it looks as though another report has come out Monday that would put that number around 42%).

Unfortunately, I’ve found many instances where educational spaces are slow to shift their thinking (and even slower to action) about how to utilize new technology to promote learning. Instead it is used in a cursory way; rather than being a tool to enhance learning, it just becomes a toy.

I’ve also heard the concern that using mobile technology in informal learning spaces promotes a “heads down, minds off” attitude. Agreed! It can be a distraction if the resources or activities are not there to encourage active thinking, reflecting, or responding to what is being learned.

Therefore, the question that I hope to answer is “How can mobile technology, programs, or platforms be used to encourage engagement and allow learning to happen?”

In the next few posts, I will discuss my research of learning theory that defines how students learn (mostly in informal learning spaces, which has been my focus) and how technology impacts their learning. By exploring these theories, I hope to give some context to our understanding of what learning should look like. This will allow me to outline a theoretical framework in which to build from and answer the question of how we can use mobile technology to enhance the learning experience.